Argosy All-Story Weekly, 4 February 1922 — page 30: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

—* Yes, sir! Tailored to your measure. _ Fit guaranteed. You ought to sign up on this thing, Mr. Andrews. There’s a mem- bership card you take out and—” _ Chester stopped. Immediately he was aware that too much eagerness had fright- ened away his prospective customer. The - chief’s interest became a frigid zero. = So that’s the liné of bunk you’re ped- — dling!” he remarked, brazenly harsh. “I ‘was just trying you out. Now, look here, _ Gibbs—they want men out at the foundry. Three dollars a day. You'll get your pretty = _ pink fingers dirty, but it’s honest. I’m _ giving you a chance. You get a job inside = of twenty-four hours, or you go in the jug _-—see?” Under the castigation Chester had grad- ~ ually paled until his lips were a blue, blood- less line across his face. At the angle of his jaw one small knot of muscle leaped ~ spasmodically. When he spoke his voice was dry, husky. ~~ “Tm not afraid of wor * $< only 9 a Only what?” barked the chief. _ “T’d be wasting my time in the foun- “dry. I’m not too good to do manual labor, but I’m a man with ideas. The trouble is, it takes time to put across anything ~ really big. ” *“'You’ve got big ideas, hey?” “Yes, sir. One of them’s about street- cars. Everybody has loose pennies since _ fares jumped to seven and eight cents all = over the country. I got an invention right > Ss now to put penny slot gum machines— es a» —— = + 7° »” he said, ‘ij ~~ ~? ru VE 14 small ones—over every seat. There’s a fortune in it.” _. - Andrews grinned sourly. “How much work have you done on that == “I’m thinking out the details—it’s still in a preliminary stage.” ‘The thick man got to his feet heavily and put a hand on the boy’s_ shoulder. -. “You’re naturally worthless—that’s ll. _ *You’re-a good kid at heart, Chet, but you - meed a tough job—a man’s job. You’re too stuck up to tackle anything in overalls. How old are you?” “Twenty-one.” ee PRE: You can rn a trade in irs os - ~e. ~~, = =~ - —_ = RF sw -— = — ~ 9 “~~ - a. is yj Se om “ARGOSY. -ALLSTORY WEEKLY. three or four years. Suppose you go home to-night and think it over.” The youngster moved toward the door, his head bowed. “All right, chief—I’ll think it over.” “ Remember what I said about getting a job inside of twenty-four hours?” “ Yes, sir.” “Well, don’t forget it.” Chief An- drews’s eyes were flinty. “ That still goes.” Il. OutsmpDE, Chester Gibbs was conscious of a burning sensation in-his face. Now that it was over, he felt he must be scarlet. A sickness ached in his stomach. Getting off the principal street, he proceeded, cir- cuitously, to Dave Walker’ s pool hall ane slipped into the entrance. At the back end, in a washroom, = took off his coat, collar and tie, and care- fully rolled back his cuffs. With the ut- most nicety he laved his hands and face; held his wrists under the cold stream from the spigot. The water soothed his fever- ish feeling. Dampening his hair, ‘he combed it, and cleaned his nails. Walker was behind a cigar counter in the front end as Chester, immaculate, re- appeared. | “Dave,” he said confidentially, leaning on the case, “slip me fifty cents, will your” Walker’s’ face hardened perceptibly. *How’s that?” he demanded. Chester repeated. “I'll hand it back to-morrow sure. Just a little bit short to- “day.” _——— em Walker rang up a “ no sale,” and passed over a coin. “ Don’t forget,’ he said. The clock in the window of the corner jewelry store showed that it was half past seven. Across the street in the Athens restaurant the white-topped tables gleamed under the electric lights. Chester crossed over and affected to stroll by. At a table near the window he saw a fat man being served with a begarnished platter of beef stew—glimpsed, even, the color of the carrots mingled with the steaming meat. A keen moisture assailed his mouth. kes =. NGDOOKS — =cor 2 ¢. :